Tian Chengsi
Encyclopedia
Tian Chengsi (705 – March 4, 779), formally the Prince of Yanmen (雁門王), was a general of the Chinese
rebel state Yan
, who later submitted to and became a general of Tang Dynasty
, from which Yan had rebelled. As was in the case of several other Yan generals who submitted to Tang but who had substantial army and territorial holdings, Tian was allowed to retain his command and territory, semi-independent of the Tang imperial government structure, and among these generals, he was particularly defiant of the Tang imperial government.
. His family was from Ping Prefecture (平州, roughly modern Qinhuangdao
, Hebei
), and his ancestors, for several generations, had served in the military. His grandfather Tian Jing (田璟) and father Tian Shouyi (田守義) both had reputations for upholding justice in the region. Late in the reign of Emperor Zhongzong's nephew Emperor Xuanzong
, Tian Chengsi served as a forward commanding officer under the general An Lushan
, the military governor (jiedushi
) of Fanyang Circuit (范陽, headquartered in modern Beijing
), and particularly impressed An with his ability to maintain strict military discipline. For his contributions in campaigns against the Khitan
and the Xi
tribes, he was promoted several times, eventually to be a general under An.
, had Tian, along with An Zhongzhi
and Zhang Xiaozhong
, serve as his forward commanders. An's forces quickly captured Luoyang, and he declared himself the emperor of a new state of Yan
there. In 757, after An Lushan had been assassinated and succeeded by his son An Qingxu
, Tian continued to serve under An Qingxu and commanded a campaign to capture the key Tang city of Nanyang (南陽, in modern Nanyang, Henan
) and then to attack south further, but while he trapped the Tang commander Lu Jiong (魯炅) in Nanyang, he was not able to capture the city quickly, and after Lu eventually fought his way out of the siege and fled to Xiangyang, Tian abandoned the campaign as well and returned to Luoyang.
In fall 757, a joint Tang and Huige army commanded by Li Chu
the Prince of Chu (the son of Emperor Xuanzong's son and successor Emperor Suzong
recaptured Chang'an, forcing An Qingxu to flee north of the Yellow River
. At that time, Tian was attacking the Tang general Lai Tian (來瑱) at Yingchuan (潁川, in modern Xuchang
, Henan
), and upon hearing the news, he initially offered to surrender to the Tang general Guo Ziyi
, but after Guo did not react immediately, Tian changed his mind and fled north as well with another Yan general, Wu Lingxun (武令珣) to join An Qingxu at Yecheng
.
In fall 758, Tang forces closed in on Yecheng. An Qingxu had himself, Tian, and Cui Qianyou (崔乾祐) command the Yan army to fight against the converging Tang forces, but Tang forces defeated them, forcing them to withdraw within the city to defend against the siege. It was only in 759, when Shi Siming
, fought an inconclusive battle near Yecheng that forced Tang forces to withdraw that the siege on Yecheng was lifted. Shi then killed An Qingxu and took over the Yan throne himself, and Tian continued to serve under Shi. Shi soon advanced south with Tian as a forward commander and recaptured Luoyang. In winter 760, as part of a campaign to capture Tang territory, Shi sent Tian to the Huaixi region (淮西, i.e., modern southern Henan), but little is known about how successful the campaign was.
Shi Siming was himself assassinated by his son Shi Chaoyi
in 761, and Shi Chaoyi took the throne. After a Tang and Huige joint force again recaptured Luoyang in fall 762, Tian withdrew his force and joined Shi Chaoyi at Wei Prefecture (衛州, roughly modern Puyang
, Henan
) to fight against the Tang forces commanded by Pugu Huai'en
, but Pugu defeated them, forcing them to further flee north. Yan generals began to desert Shi Chaoyi en masse, but for some time, Tian did not, and by the time around new year 762, he was under siege in Mo Prefecture (莫州, in modern Cangzhou
, Hebei
) with Shi Chaoyi. He proposed to Shi Chaoyi that Shi Chaoyi head to You Prefecture (幽州, i.e., the headquarters of Fanyang Circuit) to seek reinforcements, and that he would stay and defend Mo Prefecture. Shi Chaoyi agreed, but as soon as Shi Chaoyi left Mo Prefecture, Tian turned against him and surrendered Mo Prefecture to Tang, presenting Shi Chaoyi's empress dowager
, empress, and children to Tang. Shi Chaoyi, finding the situation hopeless, committed suicide in flight.
The Tang imperial government was unsure as to what to do with the main Yan generals who surrendered and feared that removing them would lead to another rebellion. At Pugu's suggestion, Li Chu, who had by this point succeeded Emperor Suzong as emperor (as Emperor Daizong), made four key Yan generals — Tian, Xue Song
, Li Huaixian
, and An Zhongzhi (whose name had been changed to Li Baochen by this point) — military governors and allowed them to keep their armies and posts. In Tian's case, he was given five prefectures, which were made into Weibo Circuit (魏博, headquartered in modern Handan
, Hebei
).
and Liang Chongyi
, hoping to be able to pass their territories to their descendants, semi-independent of the Tang imperial government, retaining their armies and taxes without submitting them to the imperial government. As part of this alliance, Li Baochen's brother Li Baozheng (李寶正) married Tian's daughter.
By 773, Tian was demanding to be given an honorary chancellor title, and he had also built a temple dedicated to the four Yan emperors (An Lushan, An Qingxu, Shi Siming, Shi Chaoyi). Emperor Daizong sent an eunuch messenger, Sun Zhigu (孫知古), to Weibo to persuade Tian to destroy the temple. When Tian did, Emperor Daizong rewarded him with the honorary chancellor title of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事), and also created him the Prince of Yanmen. In 774, Emperor Daizong also promised to give his daughter Princess Yongle to Tian's son Tian Hua (田華) in marriage, hoping that this will improve the relationship with Tian, but Tian became increasingly arrogant thereafter.
Meanwhile, Tian's alliance with the other generals was disrupted by his actions. Xue Song, who controlled Zhaoyi Circuit (昭義, headquartered in Anyang
, Henan
) had died in 773 and was initially succeeded by his son Xue Ping
, who however yielded then to Xue Song's brother Xue E
. In spring 775, however, Tian induced the Zhaoyi officer Pei Zhiqing (裴志清) to expel Xue E and submit to him. Tian thus captured Zhaoyi's capital prefecture Xiang Prefecture easily. He was then able to seize three more of Zhaoyi's six prefectures, while the imperial government retained the two other prefectures and merged it with the nearby Zelu Prefecture (澤潞, headquartered in modern Changzhi
, Shanxi
), maintaining the name of Zhaoyi for the merged circuit. Meanwhile, he also looked down at both Li Baochen and Li Zhengji. In or shortly before 775, there was an incident where Li Baozheng and Tian's son Tian Wei (田維) were playing polo
at Weibo, when an accidental collision between Li Baozheng's and Tian Wei's horses killed Tian Wei. Tian Chengsi, in anger, imprisoned Li Baozheng and sent a messenger to Li Baochen in protest. Li Baochen, wanting to be conciliatory, sent a cane back with Tian's messenger and allowed Tian to discipline Li Baozheng — but Tian, in anger over his son's death, caned Li Baozheng to death, causing Li Baochen to break off the alliance with Tian. He and Li Zhengji, who also felt slighted by Tian, submitted petitions to the imperial government asking to attack Tian, and Emperor Daizong agreed, launching troops from a number of circuits loyal to the imperial government, in addition to Li Baochen's and Li Zhengji's forces, to attack Tian. Li Baochen, Zhu Tao
(whose brother Zhu Ci
had killed Zhu Xicai in 772, submitted Lulong to Tang imperial authority, and went to Chang'an to serve as chancellor, leaving Zhu Tao in command of Lulong), and Xue Jianxun (薛兼訓) the military governor of Taiyuan Circuit attacked Tian from the north, while Li Zhengji and Li Zhongchen
the military governor of Huaixi Circuit (淮西, headquartered in modern Zhumadian
, Henan
) attacked Tian from the south. Initially, these joint forces were successful in their attacks against Tian, seizing Ci Prefecture (磁州, in modern Handan) from Tian, but Tian was subsequently able to persuade Li Zhengji to break off his attack, substantially weakening the joint forces. Meanwhile, Li Baochen was offended when an imperial eunuch, Ma Chengqian (馬承倩), who had visited Li Baochen's army, was so dissatisfied with Li Baochen's gift to him that he threw it on the ground, and Tian was also able to use hoaxes to persuade Li Baochen that if he joined forces with Tian to attack Lulong, he would be successful. Li Baochen thus turned against Zhu Tao, launching a surprise attack on him, but was unable to kill Zhu Tao, effectively ending any hopes of the campaign against Tian and subsequently creating an enmity between the Chengde and Lulong Circuits. Tian subsequent ceded Cang Prefecture (滄州, in modern Cangzhou
, Hebei
) to LI Baochen, cementing the reformed alliance and increasing Li Baochen's holdings to seven prefectures. Meanwhile, though, Tian submitted humble letters of submission to Emperor Daizong, offering to visit the Tang capital Chang'an
to pay respect to Emperor Daizong. Emperor Daizong agreed, but as soon as Emperor Daizong pardoned Tian, Tian refused to visit Chang'an, and Emperor Daizong did not press the issue. During the campaign, however, Tian also lost Ying Prefecture (瀛洲, in modern Cangzhou as well) to Zhu Tao.
In 776, when Tian Shenyu (田神玉) the military governor of Biansong Circuit (汴宋, headquartered in modern Kaifeng
, Henan
) died, the Biansong officer Li Lingyao (李靈曜) seized control of Biansong and wanted to become semi-independent as well. When the imperial government subsequently mobilized the circuits around Biansong to attack Li Lingyao, of all of the nearby circuits, Tian Chengsi not only did not attack Li Lingyao, but also allied with Li Lingyao, sending an army commanded by his nephew Tian Yue
to aid Li Lingyao. Tian, however, was defeated by two generals loyal to the imperial government, Li Zhongchen and Ma Sui
, and Li Lingyao was himself soon captured by another general loyal to the imperial government, Li Mian
and executed. Tian Chengsi subsequently submitted another apology to Emperor Daizong, and Emperor Daizong, feeling that he had no strength to attack Tian again, pardoned him again and did not require him to visit Chang'an.
Meanwhile, while Tian Chengsi had 11 sons, he considered Tian Yue to be more capable than his sons, and therefore designated Tian Yue as his heir and had his sons serve as Tian Yue's assistants. When he died in 779, at his request and the urging of Li Baochen's, Emperor Daizong allowed Tian Yue to inherit his post, as the military governor of Weibo.
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
rebel state Yan
Yan (Anshi)
Yan , also known as the Great Yan , was a state established in 756 by the Tang Dynasty general An Lushan, after he rebelled against the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang in 755. The state was extinguished in 763, with the death of An Lushan's former subordinate, Shi Siming's son, Shi Chaoyi, who...
, who later submitted to and became a general of Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
, from which Yan had rebelled. As was in the case of several other Yan generals who submitted to Tang but who had substantial army and territorial holdings, Tian was allowed to retain his command and territory, semi-independent of the Tang imperial government structure, and among these generals, he was particularly defiant of the Tang imperial government.
Background
Tian Chengsi was born in 705, during the reign of Emperor Zhongzong of TangEmperor Zhongzong of Tang
Emperor Zhongzong of Tang , personal name Lǐ Xiǎn , at times during his life Li Zhe and Wu Xian , was the fourth Emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, ruling briefly in 684 and again from 705 to 710.Emperor Zhongzong was the son of Emperor Gaozong of Tang and Empress Wu...
. His family was from Ping Prefecture (平州, roughly modern Qinhuangdao
Qinhuangdao
Qinhuangdao is a port city in northeastern Hebei province of North China. It is about 300 km east of Beijing, on the Bohai Sea, the innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea....
, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
), and his ancestors, for several generations, had served in the military. His grandfather Tian Jing (田璟) and father Tian Shouyi (田守義) both had reputations for upholding justice in the region. Late in the reign of Emperor Zhongzong's nephew Emperor Xuanzong
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang , also commonly known as Emperor Ming of Tang , personal name Li Longji , known as Wu Longji from 690 to 705, was the seventh emperor of the Tang dynasty in China, reigning from 712 to 756. His reign of 43 years was the longest during the Tang Dynasty...
, Tian Chengsi served as a forward commanding officer under the general An Lushan
An Lushan
An Lushan was a general who rebelled against the Tang Dynasty in China.His name was also transcribed into Chinese as Āluòshān or Gáluòshān ,...
, the military governor (jiedushi
Jiedushi
The Jiedushi were regional military governors in China during the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. Originally set up to counter external threats, the jiedushi were given enormous power, including the ability to maintain their own armies, collect taxes, and pass their...
) of Fanyang Circuit (范陽, headquartered in modern Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
), and particularly impressed An with his ability to maintain strict military discipline. For his contributions in campaigns against the Khitan
Khitan people
thumb|250px|Khitans [[Eagle hunting|using eagles to hunt]], painted during the Chinese [[Song Dynasty]].The Khitan people , or Khitai, Kitan, or Kidan, were a nomadic Mongolic people, originally located at Mongolia and Manchuria from the 4th century...
and the Xi
Kumo Xi
The Kumo Xi ) were a Mongolic steppe people located in current Manchuria from 207 AD to 907 AD. After the death of their ancestor Tadun in 207 they were no longer called Wuhuan but joined the Khitan Xianbei in submitting to the Yuwen Xianbei. Their history is widely linked to the more famous Khitan...
tribes, he was promoted several times, eventually to be a general under An.
During Anshi Rebellion
An Lushan rebelled against Emperor Xuanzong's rule in late 755 and, on his campaign south to attack the Tang eastern capital LuoyangLuoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
, had Tian, along with An Zhongzhi
Li Baochen
Li Baochen , originally named Zhang Zhongzhi , courtesy name Weifu , known as An Zhongzhi during the Anshi Rebellion and Zhang Baochen 778–779, formally the Prince of Longxi , was a general of the Chinese rebel state Yan, who later submitted to and became a general of Tang Dynasty, from...
and Zhang Xiaozhong
Zhang Xiaozhong
Zhang Xiaozhong , né Zhang Alao , formally Prince Zhenwu of Shanggu , was a general of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, of Xi extraction. Initially he served the rebel state Yan, during the Anshi Rebellion, and later served the warlord Li Baochen...
, serve as his forward commanders. An's forces quickly captured Luoyang, and he declared himself the emperor of a new state of Yan
Yan (Anshi)
Yan , also known as the Great Yan , was a state established in 756 by the Tang Dynasty general An Lushan, after he rebelled against the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang in 755. The state was extinguished in 763, with the death of An Lushan's former subordinate, Shi Siming's son, Shi Chaoyi, who...
there. In 757, after An Lushan had been assassinated and succeeded by his son An Qingxu
An Qingxu
An Qingxu , né An Renzhi , was a son of An Lushan, a general of the Chinese Tang Dynasty who rebelled and took imperial title of his own state of Yan. An Qingxu serves as the Prince of Jin from 756 - 757, and later killed his father and took imperial title for himself. He was eventually defeated...
, Tian continued to serve under An Qingxu and commanded a campaign to capture the key Tang city of Nanyang (南陽, in modern Nanyang, Henan
Nanyang, Henan
Nanyang is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Henan province, People's Republic of China. The city with the largest administrative area in Henan, Nanyang borders Xinyang to the southeast, Zhumadian to the east, Pingdingshan to the northeast, Luoyang to the north, Sanmenxia to the...
) and then to attack south further, but while he trapped the Tang commander Lu Jiong (魯炅) in Nanyang, he was not able to capture the city quickly, and after Lu eventually fought his way out of the siege and fled to Xiangyang, Tian abandoned the campaign as well and returned to Luoyang.
In fall 757, a joint Tang and Huige army commanded by Li Chu
Emperor Daizong of Tang
Emperor Daizong of Tang , personal name Li Yu , né Li Chu , was an emperor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty....
the Prince of Chu (the son of Emperor Xuanzong's son and successor Emperor Suzong
Emperor Suzong of Tang
Emperor Suzong of Tang , personal name Li Heng , né Li Sisheng , known as Li Jun from 725 to 736, known as Li Yu from 736 to 738, known briefly as Li Shao in 738, was an emperor of the Tang Dynasty and the son of Emperor Xuanzong...
recaptured Chang'an, forcing An Qingxu to flee north of the Yellow River
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He, formerly known as the Hwang Ho, is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China, it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into...
. At that time, Tian was attacking the Tang general Lai Tian (來瑱) at Yingchuan (潁川, in modern Xuchang
Xuchang
Xuchang is a prefecture-level city in central Henan province in Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the northwest, Kaifeng to the northeast, Zhoukou to the east, Luohe to the southeast, and Pingdingshan to the southwest....
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
), and upon hearing the news, he initially offered to surrender to the Tang general Guo Ziyi
Guo Ziyi
Guo Ziyi , formally Prince Zhongwu of Fenyang , was a general during the Tang Dynasty who ended the An Shi Rebellion, and participated in expeditions against the peoples of Huihe and Tubo...
, but after Guo did not react immediately, Tian changed his mind and fled north as well with another Yan general, Wu Lingxun (武令珣) to join An Qingxu at Yecheng
Ye, China
Ye or Yecheng was an ancient Chinese city located in what is now Linzhang County, Hebei and the neighbouring Anyang County, Henan....
.
In fall 758, Tang forces closed in on Yecheng. An Qingxu had himself, Tian, and Cui Qianyou (崔乾祐) command the Yan army to fight against the converging Tang forces, but Tang forces defeated them, forcing them to withdraw within the city to defend against the siege. It was only in 759, when Shi Siming
Shi Siming
Shi Siming , or Shi Sugan , was a general of the Chinese Tang Dynasty who followed his childhood friend An Lushan in rebelling against Tang, and who later succeeded An Lushan's son An Qingxu as emperor of the Yan state that An Lushan established.-Background:It is not known when Shi Sugan was born,...
, fought an inconclusive battle near Yecheng that forced Tang forces to withdraw that the siege on Yecheng was lifted. Shi then killed An Qingxu and took over the Yan throne himself, and Tian continued to serve under Shi. Shi soon advanced south with Tian as a forward commander and recaptured Luoyang. In winter 760, as part of a campaign to capture Tang territory, Shi sent Tian to the Huaixi region (淮西, i.e., modern southern Henan), but little is known about how successful the campaign was.
Shi Siming was himself assassinated by his son Shi Chaoyi
Shi Chaoyi
Shi Chaoyi was the final emperor of the Yan state that was established in rebellion against the Chinese Tang Dynasty. He was the oldest son of Shi Siming, and he overthrew and then killed his father in a coup in 761 and took over as emperor...
in 761, and Shi Chaoyi took the throne. After a Tang and Huige joint force again recaptured Luoyang in fall 762, Tian withdrew his force and joined Shi Chaoyi at Wei Prefecture (衛州, roughly modern Puyang
Puyang
Puyang is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Henan province, China. Located on the northern shore of the Yellow River, it borders Anyang in the west, Xinxiang in the southwest, and the provinces of Shandong and Hebei in the east and north respectively....
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
) to fight against the Tang forces commanded by Pugu Huai'en
Pugu Huai'en
Pugu Huai'en , formally the Prince of Da'ning , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, of Tiele ancestry. He was instrumental in the final suppression of the Anshi Rebellion, but rebelled against Emperor Daizong in fear that he was being accused of treason...
, but Pugu defeated them, forcing them to further flee north. Yan generals began to desert Shi Chaoyi en masse, but for some time, Tian did not, and by the time around new year 762, he was under siege in Mo Prefecture (莫州, in modern Cangzhou
Cangzhou
Cangzhou is a prefecture-level city in Hebei province, People's Republic of China. Cangzhou's urban center has a population of approximately 514,074 at the 2010 census which correspond to the built up area), while the prefecture-level administrative region in total has a population of 7,134,053...
, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
) with Shi Chaoyi. He proposed to Shi Chaoyi that Shi Chaoyi head to You Prefecture (幽州, i.e., the headquarters of Fanyang Circuit) to seek reinforcements, and that he would stay and defend Mo Prefecture. Shi Chaoyi agreed, but as soon as Shi Chaoyi left Mo Prefecture, Tian turned against him and surrendered Mo Prefecture to Tang, presenting Shi Chaoyi's empress dowager
Empress Dowager
Empress Dowager was the title given to the mother of a Chinese, Korean, Japanese or Vietnamese emperor.The title was also given occasionally to another woman of the same generation, while a woman from the previous generation was sometimes given the title of Grand empress dowager. Numerous empress...
, empress, and children to Tang. Shi Chaoyi, finding the situation hopeless, committed suicide in flight.
The Tang imperial government was unsure as to what to do with the main Yan generals who surrendered and feared that removing them would lead to another rebellion. At Pugu's suggestion, Li Chu, who had by this point succeeded Emperor Suzong as emperor (as Emperor Daizong), made four key Yan generals — Tian, Xue Song
Xue Song
Xue Song , formally the Prince of Pingyang , was a general of the Chinese rebel state Yan, who later submitted to and became a general of Tang Dynasty, from which Yan had rebelled...
, Li Huaixian
Li Huaixian
Li Huaixian was a general of the Chinese rebel state Yan, who later submitted to and became a general of Tang Dynasty, from which Yan had rebelled...
, and An Zhongzhi (whose name had been changed to Li Baochen by this point) — military governors and allowed them to keep their armies and posts. In Tian's case, he was given five prefectures, which were made into Weibo Circuit (魏博, headquartered in modern Handan
Handan
Handan is a prefecture-level city located in the southwestern part of Hebei Province of China.- History :Handan was the capital of the State of Zhao during the Warring States period , after the capital moved from Zhongmu. The city was conquered by the State of Qin after the virtual annexation of...
, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
).
After Anshi Rebellion
It was said that Tian Chengsi emphasized greatly on military strength, that as soon as he had full control of Weibo Circuit, he imposed heavy taxes and conscripted the men for the army and logistics service — and that within a year, his army was some 100,000 strong. Among this he selected an elite group, known as the Yabing (牙兵), to protect himself. The four former Yan generals formed alliances among themselves, as well as with two other military governors, Li ZhengjiLi Zhengji
- Background :Li Huaiyu was born in 733, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. He was born in Tang's Pinglu Circuit...
and Liang Chongyi
Liang Chongyi
Liang Chongyi was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Daizong, Liang took advantage of the army's discontent after the death of the general Lai Tian to seize control of Shannan East Circuit and hold it semi-independently from the imperial regime...
, hoping to be able to pass their territories to their descendants, semi-independent of the Tang imperial government, retaining their armies and taxes without submitting them to the imperial government. As part of this alliance, Li Baochen's brother Li Baozheng (李寶正) married Tian's daughter.
By 773, Tian was demanding to be given an honorary chancellor title, and he had also built a temple dedicated to the four Yan emperors (An Lushan, An Qingxu, Shi Siming, Shi Chaoyi). Emperor Daizong sent an eunuch messenger, Sun Zhigu (孫知古), to Weibo to persuade Tian to destroy the temple. When Tian did, Emperor Daizong rewarded him with the honorary chancellor title of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事), and also created him the Prince of Yanmen. In 774, Emperor Daizong also promised to give his daughter Princess Yongle to Tian's son Tian Hua (田華) in marriage, hoping that this will improve the relationship with Tian, but Tian became increasingly arrogant thereafter.
Meanwhile, Tian's alliance with the other generals was disrupted by his actions. Xue Song, who controlled Zhaoyi Circuit (昭義, headquartered in Anyang
Anyang
Anyang is a prefecture-level city in Henan province, People's Republic of China. The northernmost city in Henan, Anyang borders Puyang to the east, Hebi and Xinxiang to the south, and the provinces of Shanxi and Hebei to its west and north respectively....
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
) had died in 773 and was initially succeeded by his son Xue Ping
Xue Ping
Xue Ping , courtesy name Tantu , formally the Duke of Han , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, whose father Xue Song ruled Zhaoyi Circuit semi-independently from the imperial government...
, who however yielded then to Xue Song's brother Xue E
Xue E
Xue E was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, briefly ruling Zhaoyi Circuit after the death of his brother Xue Song.Nothing is known about Xue E's career under his brother or events before that...
. In spring 775, however, Tian induced the Zhaoyi officer Pei Zhiqing (裴志清) to expel Xue E and submit to him. Tian thus captured Zhaoyi's capital prefecture Xiang Prefecture easily. He was then able to seize three more of Zhaoyi's six prefectures, while the imperial government retained the two other prefectures and merged it with the nearby Zelu Prefecture (澤潞, headquartered in modern Changzhi
Changzhi
Changzhi is a prefecture-level city in Shanxi Province, People's Republic of China. It lies between the city of Huozhou in Shanxi and the city of Hebi in Henan....
, Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
), maintaining the name of Zhaoyi for the merged circuit. Meanwhile, he also looked down at both Li Baochen and Li Zhengji. In or shortly before 775, there was an incident where Li Baozheng and Tian's son Tian Wei (田維) were playing polo
Polo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
at Weibo, when an accidental collision between Li Baozheng's and Tian Wei's horses killed Tian Wei. Tian Chengsi, in anger, imprisoned Li Baozheng and sent a messenger to Li Baochen in protest. Li Baochen, wanting to be conciliatory, sent a cane back with Tian's messenger and allowed Tian to discipline Li Baozheng — but Tian, in anger over his son's death, caned Li Baozheng to death, causing Li Baochen to break off the alliance with Tian. He and Li Zhengji, who also felt slighted by Tian, submitted petitions to the imperial government asking to attack Tian, and Emperor Daizong agreed, launching troops from a number of circuits loyal to the imperial government, in addition to Li Baochen's and Li Zhengji's forces, to attack Tian. Li Baochen, Zhu Tao
Zhu Tao
Zhu Tao , formally the Prince of Tongyi , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who initially served imperial causes during the reigns of Emperor Daizong and Emperor Dezong, but later turned against imperial rule in alliance with Wang Wujun, Tian Yue, and Li Na...
(whose brother Zhu Ci
Zhu Ci
Zhu Ci was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. He initially served as military governor of Lulong Circuit , but later became a general for the imperial government...
had killed Zhu Xicai in 772, submitted Lulong to Tang imperial authority, and went to Chang'an to serve as chancellor, leaving Zhu Tao in command of Lulong), and Xue Jianxun (薛兼訓) the military governor of Taiyuan Circuit attacked Tian from the north, while Li Zhengji and Li Zhongchen
Li Zhongchen
Li Zhongchen , né Dong Qin , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who was known, for most of his career, as both a supporter of the imperial cause but also a corrupt and violent military governor...
the military governor of Huaixi Circuit (淮西, headquartered in modern Zhumadian
Zhumadian
Zhumadian is a prefecture-level city in southern Henan province, People's Republic of China. It borders Xinyang to the south, Nanyang to the west, Pingdingshan to the northwest, Luohe to the north, Zhoukou to the northeast, and the province of Anhui to the east.Its population is 7,230,744 at the...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
) attacked Tian from the south. Initially, these joint forces were successful in their attacks against Tian, seizing Ci Prefecture (磁州, in modern Handan) from Tian, but Tian was subsequently able to persuade Li Zhengji to break off his attack, substantially weakening the joint forces. Meanwhile, Li Baochen was offended when an imperial eunuch, Ma Chengqian (馬承倩), who had visited Li Baochen's army, was so dissatisfied with Li Baochen's gift to him that he threw it on the ground, and Tian was also able to use hoaxes to persuade Li Baochen that if he joined forces with Tian to attack Lulong, he would be successful. Li Baochen thus turned against Zhu Tao, launching a surprise attack on him, but was unable to kill Zhu Tao, effectively ending any hopes of the campaign against Tian and subsequently creating an enmity between the Chengde and Lulong Circuits. Tian subsequent ceded Cang Prefecture (滄州, in modern Cangzhou
Cangzhou
Cangzhou is a prefecture-level city in Hebei province, People's Republic of China. Cangzhou's urban center has a population of approximately 514,074 at the 2010 census which correspond to the built up area), while the prefecture-level administrative region in total has a population of 7,134,053...
, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
) to LI Baochen, cementing the reformed alliance and increasing Li Baochen's holdings to seven prefectures. Meanwhile, though, Tian submitted humble letters of submission to Emperor Daizong, offering to visit the Tang capital Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
to pay respect to Emperor Daizong. Emperor Daizong agreed, but as soon as Emperor Daizong pardoned Tian, Tian refused to visit Chang'an, and Emperor Daizong did not press the issue. During the campaign, however, Tian also lost Ying Prefecture (瀛洲, in modern Cangzhou as well) to Zhu Tao.
In 776, when Tian Shenyu (田神玉) the military governor of Biansong Circuit (汴宋, headquartered in modern Kaifeng
Kaifeng
Kaifeng , known previously by several names , is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, Central China. Nearly 5 million people live in the metropolitan area...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
) died, the Biansong officer Li Lingyao (李靈曜) seized control of Biansong and wanted to become semi-independent as well. When the imperial government subsequently mobilized the circuits around Biansong to attack Li Lingyao, of all of the nearby circuits, Tian Chengsi not only did not attack Li Lingyao, but also allied with Li Lingyao, sending an army commanded by his nephew Tian Yue
Tian Yue
Tian Yue , formally the Prince of Jiyang , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who, from 782 to 784, claimed the title of Prince of Wei independent from the Tang regime...
to aid Li Lingyao. Tian, however, was defeated by two generals loyal to the imperial government, Li Zhongchen and Ma Sui
Ma Sui
Ma Sui , courtesy name Xunmei , formally Prince Zhuangwu of Beiping , was a Chinese general who served during the Tang dynasty. He was known mostly for his battles against the rebel generals Li Lingyao , Tian Yue, Zhu Tao, and Li Huaiguang.- Background and early career :Ma Sui was born in 726,...
, and Li Lingyao was himself soon captured by another general loyal to the imperial government, Li Mian
Li Mian
Li Mian , courtesy name Xuanqing , formally Duke Zhenjian of Qian , was an official and general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Dezong.- Background :...
and executed. Tian Chengsi subsequently submitted another apology to Emperor Daizong, and Emperor Daizong, feeling that he had no strength to attack Tian again, pardoned him again and did not require him to visit Chang'an.
Meanwhile, while Tian Chengsi had 11 sons, he considered Tian Yue to be more capable than his sons, and therefore designated Tian Yue as his heir and had his sons serve as Tian Yue's assistants. When he died in 779, at his request and the urging of Li Baochen's, Emperor Daizong allowed Tian Yue to inherit his post, as the military governor of Weibo.